How to Deal
by Caliente
Summary: NextGen teen rom-com style fic –– The plan was simple: hang with recently dumped hot guy, let people think they're an item, save face from own recent dumping/salvage Seventh Year while helping hot guy make ex jealous/get ex back. Everybody wins, nobody gets hurt. Simple. (If only.) –– Rose/Scorpius; mild Scorpius/OC, Rose/OC, Draco/Hermione
1. Life Not Perfect

**Author's Note: **I've been working on this for a while now (like, years) but am finally almost done and thought it safe to begin posting. It's somewhat based on the film _Drive Me Crazy_ but more sensible (I hope). I warn you that it is unbeta'd, so it's entirely possible I missed some grammar/funky wording/spelling issues/etc. Please ping me if you see anything! (Especially if you're British because I'm not, and I always worry the dialogue is too _American_.) Anyhoo, thanks for reading. Cheers!  
**Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 1: Life Not Perfect**

From birth, Rose Weasley pretty much had it made: great parents and a loving extended family, good friends including many of her cousins and enough sense to appreciate all she'd been gifted. There was also plenty of fame—more than she wanted, even—but close proximity to the Potters helped her recognize that it could be worse. _Much_ worse. All in all, things were pretty okay.

All right so she hadn't made Head Girl like she'd wanted. But, if she were fully honest with herself (and she really tried to be), she knew that she wouldn't have the time for it—she simply had too many N.E.W.T.s to study for. And any lingering disappointment was lifted by her visit to the Burrow; all of her cousins, her father and grandparents were a fantastic distraction. If she'd known, however, the floo call she'd receive there, she would've stayed in Italy with her mother's research team.

It was Rose was helping clear the lunch dishes in the week before the start of fall term when the face of her boyfriend of nearly two years appeared in the fireplace. She managed to push lingering family members out of the room in record time and with only mild protests. Smiling prettily, she crossed to the hearth. "Dirk! Hi. I wasn't expecting to see you until King's Cross."

Dirk Thomas (like Lily, Teddy, James, Fred, Albus and many others) had the unfortunate blessing of being named after someone who'd passed during the wars. (The story went that his father, Dean, had been rather insistent and his Muggle wife hadn't seen fit to put up a fight.) He was a tall, good-looking seventeen-year-old with dark skin, curly black hair and well-defined features.

Currently said features were looking rather bashful—which, actually, just made him all the cuter (in Rose's opinion, anyway). "Hullo, Rosie," he greeted pleasantly, running a hand through his hair. When his expression didn't change, Rose felt her adore turning to suspicion. (Constant vigilance and all that.) "Listen—I've not got long but, um…"

Laughing nervously, she crossed her arms. "What's wrong, Dirk? You sound like you're about to tell me you want to take a break or something." Dirk looked away but she caught the wince on his face. "You want to take a _break_ from dating? What? _Why?_"

Dirk's face showed full on guilt now, and he was visibly struggling to meet her eyes. "It's not you, Rosie, I swear it. It's just… I met someone this summer. She goes to Beauxbatons Academy, and she—we're in_ love_, Rose. Like, the real thing."

"Love?" she repeated with a sarcastic bark that was more scoff than laugh despite her best efforts. "What the hell do you know about _love?_ We're barely adults for Merlin's sake!" So maybe her parent's incredibly amicable divorce had left her a bit cynical about the idea but _still._ They were about to begin their final year at Hogwarts and she'd spent all this bloody time getting everything just the way she wanted it and _he was ruining it!_

Something behind him caught his attention and Dirk's discomfort doubled. "I'll still go to the Leaving Ball with you if you like," he offered quickly. "You know, as friends." He shrugged a shoulder. "Ella probably can't make it, anyway."

"Don't do me any favors," Rose snapped, dousing the fire with the nearby water bucket. She hoped Dirk got a face full of ash for her trouble.

Well, bugger that. What was she supposed to do _now?_

* * *

Rose Weasley had a lot of friends. She had her cousins, her housemates, fellow prefects from all houses, even a number of her mother's neighbors in Muggle London. Unfortunately, she also had a prideful streak a mile wide thanks to both sides of her family. Which meant the pity all those friends kept trying to unload on her? _Not_ welcome. Honestly, she just wanted her seventh year to be the way it was _supposed_ to be. Why was that so much to ask?

When what felt like the hundredth group of well-wishers stopped by her compartment on the Hogwarts Express to "check on how she was doing" with the break-up, she'd had _enough._ This was _not_ part of the plan. "I'm going to the Prefect meeting now," she told Albus, who had his nose buried in a book about the Chudley Cannons. "I should be back before we arrive… unless I finally find some kind soul to put me out of my misery."

Al smiled but didn't look up. "Have fun," he replied cheerily.

Used to him by then, she just blew a raspberry and pranced out the door.

The Prefect meeting was unfortunately (but not unexpectedly) a bit dull. Helga Macmillan, an uppity fifth year Hufflepuff, kept "offering suggestions" to the Heads. Head Boy Scorpius Malfoy took them mostly in stride but Head Girl Cindy Carmichael insisted on not only shooting her down but explaining exactly _why_ her suggestions were ludicrous. It was trying, to say the least.

When they were _finally_ finished, Rose lagged a bit. She wasn't especially keen to get back to the pity party everyone seemed so intent on throwing her. Seriously, it was ridiculous! Even during the meeting she caught no less than _five_ of her fellow Prefects sending her sympathetic looks. It was getting to be too much and they hadn't even reached school yet! This year was going to be ridiculously awful if she didn't do something about this situation quickly.

Steeling herself, she opened the compartment door only to be confronted by the sound of what was clearly meant to be a private conversation.

"Abby, please—" The insistent voice belonged to none other than the recently departed Scorpius. Rose plastered herself just behind the compartment door and pulled out an extendable ear. (One didn't grow up with a large extended family that contained more than one prankster without picking up a few things.)

"No, Scorpius," and there was his ever-present girlfriend, sixth year Abigail Higgs, "I told you—I can't do this with you anymore."

"You're not being fair." Malfoy sounded angry—and maybe a bit hurt, too.

Abigail, meanwhile, maintained a calm, detached tone. "Since when has life ever been fair?"

Rose winced. That stung from where she was standing.

There was a grunt and then: "Point. Still, I don't—"

"I told you," Abigail interrupted, "I need someone who's going to _be there_ for me. And we both know you're _not_ that someone."

"Yeah?" Malfoy scoffed. "But let me guess—the tosser helping care for your Nana is?"

"_Don't._" For the first time, she actually sounded angry. "You're only embarrassing yourself."

Rose ducked back into the compartment fully as Abigail stormed down the corridor. She blinked a few times, replaying what she'd heard in her mind. So Scorpius had been summarily dumped over the summer, too. Slowly an idea began forming in her mind. She might actually be able to work this to her advantage. Of course, she'd have to get him on the same page as her and, well… that might be a challenge.

But she'd worry about that later. Right then, she had to get back to her compartment and change into her school robes. They were almost at Hogwarts.

* * *

Rose found her chance to speak with Scorpius a few days later. She was climbing to the Owlery to send her mum a thank you note for the new quill she'd sent as a welcome back gift and ran, quite literally, into him. "Oh, Malfoy!" she gasped, stumbling back. He instinctively stepped forward and steadied her. "Sorry."

He pulled his jacket a bit tighter and nodded, brushing past her.

Swallowing, Rose brushed some hair behind her ears. This was her shot and she wasn't going to let it walk away from her. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you," she blurted out quickly.

That was enough to stop him again. Scorpius turned and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Oh?" His tone betrayed nothing, which irked her a bit. Wasn't he the least bit curious why she'd want to speak with him?

"Erm, yes," she said, forcing a smile that felt as phony as it appeared. "I, uh, overheard you arguing with Abigail." His expression remained blank. "On the train."

His mouth formed a thin line and his eyes narrowed. "So what? I don't imagine you're dying to offer your sympathies…" His lips curled into a sneer. "Or did you want to commiserate since your little boy toy also spent the summer meeting someone else?"

Rose scowled. "No," she grated out, mentally trying to contain her temper (another trait she inherited from both parents). "I wanted to share an idea I had—a way for both of us to make lemonade out of the lemons we've been given, if you will."

"Not interested," he told her simply, his mask of boredom once again in place.

Huffing, Rose crossed her arms. (He hadn't even thought about hearing her out before turning her down! Way to be, Scorpius Malfoy.) "Fine. Be a prat." She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "See if I care."

Now he was smirking just a little. "If I recall, _you_ were the one who—"

"Let's not," she cut in, turning and hurrying the rest of the way to the Owlery. She was irritated enough as it was, no reason to add guilt to the mix.

* * *

A week and a half later, after Abigail received a letter at breakfast and promptly started squealing to her pack of giggling girlfriends, Scorpius sought her out. "I'm in, Weasley," he told her, bypassing all pleasantries.

Rose blinked. "But you don't even—"

"I don't care," he interrupted. "We can chat after dinner tonight." A few of their classmates were shooting them strange looks and Scorpius scowled. "Meet me outside the Head dormitory—we'll talk there." Then he stalked off.

Despite his chilly demeanor and bossy attitude, Rose smiled. There might be hope for this year yet.


	2. Plan of Action

**Author's Note: **Thanks to those kind enough to favorite and review—I really appreciate them! So the plan as of now is to update weekly. Still unbeta'd. Cheers!  
**Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 2: Plan of Action**

Standing outside of the Head common room, Rose felt oddly conspicuous. She did her best to ignore that feeling, though, and wait patiently for Scorpius to arrive. She'd been sure to catch his eye as she exited the Great Hall, so it shouldn't take him all that long.

Ten minutes later, the Head Boy finally made an appearance. Rose scowled. "What took you?" (She'd never had an overabundance of patience.)

"I wasn't done eating," was his simple reply, though there was something suspiciously like smugness in his expression. Turning to the suite of armor guarding the door, he said, "Ambrose Swott." The armor saluted and stepped aside, allowing the door to swing open.

Rose gaped at the splendid room that lay beyond. It was decorated primarily in the colors of the two houses from which the heads belonged, which weren't her favorites, but there were books and other items that were exclusively for those selected to dwell there. And, though she was loathe to admit it, she was a wee bit jealous that she hadn't been chosen to share in that legacy. For the briefest moment, she indulged in those feelings.

Then she got down to business. Rose sat on one side of the green lounge and smoothed her skirt. "Okay, so I was thinking… we can help each other."

Scorpius chose to sit in a similarly colored chair. "As you've said. What you failed to mention, however, is what that entails."

Fighting the urge to frown, she nodded. "Right. I was thinking…" here she bit the bullet, "we should start dating."

Whatever the Malfoy heir had been expecting, that was apparently not it. He choked out a laugh, shaking his head. "You must be joking," he replied simply. Catching her eye and slight blush, he blanched. "You're… not joking?" That sent him into an even more raucous round of laughter.

"Oh, shut it," Rose snapped, crossing her arms defensively. "Think about this for a moment. You can make Abigail jealous—because, _believe__ me_, that show she put on in the Hall was as much for you as her friends—"

Instantly, she had Scorpius's attention again. "How do you know that?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm a girl, that's how. _Anyway_," she continued pointedly, "while you're making Abigail jealous, I'll be able to make the dregs of my year into something salvageable." And save face but that part did not require sharing. "It's flawless."

"Oh, I can think of several flaws," he responded with a doubtful expression. "Like: who the hell would believe _we_ were dating?"

_Boys_. It was difficult to keep from rolling her eyes. They were so bloody predictable. "Well, of course no one would believe us if we _tell_ them. What am I—thick?" She waved off whatever snarky reply he'd concocted. "We just start, you know, spending more time together. Studying in the library, waving in the hall, sitting closer in the classes we share. The school isn't _that_ large. The student body will start whispering amongst themselves quickly enough."

The look on his face was still dubious but Scorpius also appeared intrigued. "And once the rumors start, it really doesn't matter what's true or not," he said slowly, nodding. "All right, let's say I go along with this. What's first?"

"Stop by the Gryffindor table tomorrow morning and to say good morning," Rose suggested with a thoughtful expression. "That ought to get the wheels turning."

Scorpius pursed his lips for a moment, mulling over the idea. From the look on his face, he didn't find it all that appealing. "And what happens if—_when_ Abby wants me back?"

Shrugging, Rose brushed her hair behind her ear. "No muss, no fuss. Either one of us wants out, it's over. No questions asked." Then she reached forward, offering her hands. "Do we have a deal?"

There was a pause and then he took her hand in a firm shake. "Deal."

For the first time since returning to Hogwarts, Rose Weasley was outright grinning as she headed back to her dorm for the evening. Yep, things were definitely looking up.

* * *

The next day, it was about half seven when the world went tits up. True to the plan, Scorpius Malfoy came over to where Rose Weasley was about to tuck in and said good-morning. The conversation went something like this:

"'Morning, Rose."

"Hullo, Scorpius."

"So, uh, did you finish the Potions essay yet?"

"Almost. Just an inch left to go but I feel like I'm running out of things to say."

"I know what you mean."

"Maybe we could work on it together?"

"Sure. I was thinking about going to the library before dinner."

"I'll meet you there."

"Okay. See you later then."

"'Bye."

With the ruckus that followed at the table, however, they may as well have been declaring passionate love for each other. Rose was quickly bombarded by a variety of comments and questions.

"Oh my—what was Scorpius _Malfoy_ doing at our table?" That was a fourth year Muggle born whose name momentarily escaped Rose.

Albus, who was seated beside her, looked concerned. "Rose, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Us!" Lily corrected eagerly, eyes bright and sharp—a sure sign she thought a really juicy piece of gossip was about to be exposed.

Vicky Boot was wide-eyed beside them at the Ravenclaw table. "Are you guys dating?"

Hugo mimed vomiting from across the table as Louis looked on disapprovingly.

"He is so hot!" a nearby second year crooned, while a group of first years looked about ready to pass out.

Rose took a slow breath and waved them all off. "What's the big deal?" she asked innocently. "We're just going to study together, not picking out a china pattern."

Roxanne voiced the thought running through everyone's minds: "But you're not even _friends_… are you?"

"I guess we are," Rose decided with a warm smile.

Only Albus remained obviously skeptical, but he chose not to comment. He knew better than to try and get the real story out of her when she had such a rapt audience. No, he'd bide his time until he put together more pieces to whatever she was scheming figured out.

* * *

It was a short walk from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to Ancient Runes. On the way, Rose ran into none other than the trio of Miles Bulstrode-Bole, Clinton Montague and Scorpius Malfoy. They, like many pureblood families before them, had bonded long before attending Hogwarts. (Apparently the friendships that were available after the second war were somewhat limited to Draco Malfoy, the sometimes-hero, sometimes-traitor, always-coward.)

Whispering a quick word of good-bye to the Hufflepuff she'd been walking with, Rose headed for the boys. "Hullo," she said cheerfully. She waved at them all but her gaze rested on Scorpius.

"Hi," Clinton said, quickly averting his eyes. Rose had never figured out if he was really shy or if it was part of a ruse to get others to drop their guards. All signs pointed to the former but Slytherins _were_ known for their cunning…

Miles fixed Rose with what he clearly thought was a winning smile but was honestly more on the side of goofy. "My fair lady, hello," he greeted with a grand, sweeping bow. "'Tis quite the honor to see you on this fine day." Like his mother before him, he was somewhat oversized and awkward, though far less than he'd been the year before.

Rolling his eyes, Clinton started to drag him away. "I'll see you blokes later," Scorpius called with a wave. When he turned to face Rose, he was chuckling lightly. "I think you have an admirer."

"Who?" Rose glanced around before she realized what he meant. "Miles?"

Scorpius nodded. "Don't get your hopes up though, he says things like that to all the pretty birds." It was Rose's turn to laugh. "Fancies himself charming."

Waving that thought off, Rose slid her arm through his. "So, I've already been asked by no less than a dozen girls from all the houses what's up between us. And that was just for a short conversation! I thought an entrance to Ancient Ruins would really send the gossips into a frenzy."

Shrugging, Scorpius ran his free hand through his hair. "I'm going to assume that's a good thing."

"It is," Rose confirmed with an authoritative nod. Suddenly, a realization hit her. "Hey! _You_," she poked his chest to emphasize, "just called me pretty."

Scorpius blanched. "Well, er… it's simple fact. Like the sky is blue. Rose Weasley is pretty. Don't go getting a big head."

Mock-swooning, Rose couldn't stop herself from grinning ear to ear. "Awww! You think I'm pretty."

"Cow."

Now she laughed again. "Oh, Scorpius. You say the sweetest things."

* * *

Albus made his move and cornered Rose a few days later. "You're keeping secrets."

"Who? Me?" She was all wide-eyed innocence and surprise.

Unfortunately, her cousin knew her far too well to fall for that. "_Rose_."

Rolling her eyes, she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Fine, I am. What of it?"

Albus frowned. "Look, I know you think you know everything about everything—" a claim that made her roll her eyes again—"but you don't know Scorpius."

At her dubious expression, Albus squeezed her arm insistently. "You _don't_, Rose—not like I do. He really cared for Abby; there's no way he's over her yet. And I know _you_ well enough to know you're pushing some sort of 'more than friends' agenda with him." His expression softened. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

Suppressing a laugh (as if Scorpius Malfoy could hurt _her_), Rose patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Al, don't worry—guard's up." He did not appear convinced. "Honest." She smiled encouragingly. "I've got everything under control; scout's honor."

There was a long pause while Albus studied her shrewdly. "You were never a scout," he pointed out finally.

Now Rose did laugh as she began dragging him down the hall. "Come on, we're going to be late for Potions."


	3. Fair is Fair

**Author's Note: **A bit late, whoops. Real life and all that. Still going to try for weekly updates, though. Thanks to all supporters; hope y'all enjoy this installment! Still unbeta'd, so apologies for any and all mistakes. :) Cheers!  
**Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 3: Fair is Fair**

The nice thing about fake dating Scorpius was that, once the initial shockwaves were sent out, things went back to just the way Rose liked them. There were no more pitying glances, no more incessant sympathy, no more interruptions to her other, _far more_ important tasks. It was lovely.

So she had to spend a little more time with the heir to the Malfoy name, so what? It really wasn't all that bad. They studied together and, though she loathed admitting it, she'd gotten his help more than once in both Potions and Arithmacy. She'd sat with him at the first Quiddich match of the season—Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw—and even watched him practice a few times. (He was one of his team's chasers.)

All in all, things ran rather smoothly for them—until halfway through October. They were sitting in the library reading their transfiguration texts when Scorpius suddenly threw his quill down. The motion drew the eyes of several other students nearby but, thankfully, not the attention of the absentminded but strict librarian.

Rose placed her own quill down more gently and turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Something bothering you?" she whispered sarcastically.

Arms crossed and a petulant scowl on his face, Scorpius was the picture of spoiled. It was not a look that suited him. "We've been at this for over a month and for what? Nothing's happened," he all but whined.

Rose blinked. "Okay…"

"You got what you wanted," he continued pointedly. "When am I going to see any results?"

Despite her inclination to argue, she took a moment to consider this. "You're right," she said decisively. Fair was fair, after all.

It was Scorpius's turn to look surprised. "I am?"

She shot him an, 'are you for real?' look. "Yes. There's a Hogsmade trip this weekend—how about we go together? We can make sure Abigail sees us and use the opportunity to push her buttons."

"Okay." He was clearly still stunned. "Okay, good." He shook his head as if to clear it, then looked at her for a long moment. "You know, you would've made a good Slytherin, Rose."

She smothered a snort; she could only _imagine_ how her family would've reacted to _that_. "Thanks… I think."

Now Scorpius smirked. "It's a good thing," he assured her. "Trust me."

She stretched her arms up over her head and nudged his shoulder before picking up her quill again. "Okay. Ready to get back to it?" No matter how hard she wished, her essays just would not write themselves.

"Yeah, yeah." He was still smirking. "You're such a slave driver."

Rose stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

If there was one thing about Hogsmade that Rose didn't like, it was the weather. After all, they were still in Scotland. And Scotland was _cold_. She rubbed her hands together for the millionth time and tugged her scarf tighter.

Scorpius put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She could feel his warm breath on her ear and the whole thing might've been incredibly sweet if he hadn't spoken. "Your lips are turning blue," he told her, in a low teasing tone.

Rose smacked his shoulder but didn't pull away. She wasn't about to turn away a warm body, especially one that was partially shielding her from cold winds. "Play nice or I won't tell you which shop Abigail just entered."

"I know it was the Three Broomsticks," he replied with haughty condescension. "That's where the girls always start their trips to town."

Rose hmmphed. "Spoilsport." She might've commented more but keeping her human shield close was more important just then.

A minute later and the pair were welcomed into the Three Broomsticks by a rush of overwarm air. They took a couple minutes to unwind themselves from their various pieces of outerwear. Once they were sorted, Rose and Scorpius clasped hands and headed off in search of familiar faces.

It didn't take long for them to spot Abigail's friends Dahlia Pucey and Aurelia Zabini, though the girl they were most interested in was apparently nowhere to be found. At the moment Dahlia and Aurelia were chatting casually with Clinton and Miles.

It was Miles who spotted the pair of newcomers first. "Greetings, milady!" he called to Rose with an enthusiastic wave.

Giggling (he was so absurd—it was kind of adorable), she waved back. "'Lo, Miles. Enjoying your trip to town?"

"Verily!" he cried with a wink.

Scorpius rolled his eyes and gestured to the girls. "Rose, you know Dahlia and Aurelia, right?"

The younger girls plastered matching poisonous smiles on their faces. "You gave us detention last year for violating curfew," Dahlia said, somehow managing to look down her nose at Rose despite being a good half foot shorter.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Rose replied dryly.

That was when Miles decided to play knight in shining armor. "Fancy a quick game of Gobstones, Rose? There's a Snake Pit board behind the bar."

She cast a quick glance at Scorpius who nodded his okay. Smiling, she gave his hand a squeeze before taking Mile's arm. "Sure! Prepare to be schooled, Bulstrode-Bole."

"You can try, Weasley," he shot back as he led her away.

Shaking his head, Clinton was smiling. "He's about to fall in love," he told Scorpius with an amused shake of his head.

The other boy watched them for a moment before shrugging. "Who could blame him?" He turned back to the girls whose expressions had morphed into full-on scowls. "Where's Abby at?"

They exchanged a glance. "She ran to the bar to get a drink," Aurelia said. "Something must have… _delayed_ her."

It was the way she emphasized the word delay that set off the alarm bells in Scorpius's mind. "Right." Giving the trio a nod, he slid away from the table and headed toward the crowd around the bar. There were only two bartenders working that afternoon and they both looked rather harried by the number of customers. (Apparently the cool weather had brought more folk in than they'd originally expected.)

Despite his height, Scorpius couldn't spot Abby. He scanned the mob as he waited his turn. Just as he was about to step up to the bar, the wide bloke in front of him stepped aside and there she was. She was holding a butterbeer and the sod with his arm around her had a firewiskey in his hand. Worse, it wasn't just _any_ sod—it was the bloke she'd raved about incessantly over summer hols. It was all Scorpius could do to not punch him then and there. For swiping his girl, for flaunting the fact in front of him, for having no idea he'd done it.

"Scorpius, hi," Abby greeted, visibly uncomfortable but making no moves to push away from the man currently nuzzling her neck.

Fuck, how old was he anyway? Bastard looked at _least_ twenty-one and too damn old to be dating an underage girl regardless. "Hey, mate," the jerk added with a friendly, if somewhat distracted, nod.

Suddenly, Rose swooped in. "_There_ you are," she said, shoving her way between him and the couple he was trying to kill with his eyes. "I was looking all over for you." Without missing a beat, she stood on her tip-toes and pulled the back of his head down to kiss him squarely on the lips.

Rose Weasley. Rose Weasley was kissing him.

Considering they were fake dating, it shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. Luckily his body was already responding; he bent down and pulled her closer as his brain tried to process. His mind was strangely blank when they finally pulled apart but Rose was already in motion.

She grinned and turned away from Scorpius just enough to catch Abigail's eye. There was a satisfied expression on her face as she wiped her bottom lip. "Oh, hi. Abigail, right?"

The expression on Abby's face was positively _lethal._ "Get a bloody room," she growled, dragging her _friend_ with her as she stalked off.

Waiting until she was out of range, Rose gave an excited squeal. "Oh, did you see that?" she hissed. "She's positively seething. A girl who is over someone does _not_ seethe."

The pair exchanged grins and Scorpius slung an arm around her shoulders happily. "How 'bout a butterbeer to celebrate?" he suggested, waving at the bartender again.

"Cheers," Rose agreed.


	4. Something Real

**Author's Note:** Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, alerted and favorited the story. Y'all are awesome! Also, it's still Sunday in my time zone, so I'm counting this as on time. ;) Anyway. Finally, we get some backstory on what went down between them prior to the start of this story (as alluded to in the first chapter). Aaaand... yeah! Hope y'all enjoy it. Cheers!  
**Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 4: Something Real**

Rose hummed faintly as she tapped the edge of her quill under her chin. "Bugger, I really hate Ancient Runes," she grumbled.

"Why do you take it then?" Scorpius asked from his seat across from her. They'd elected to study in the Head's common room instead of the library that day as exam season was closing in and it was becoming increasingly difficult to find free tables to study at. (Neither commented that they had little reason to study together where there was no audience to see them, though the thought had occurred to both of them.)

Shrugging, she pushed the book she was translating from aside. "Insatiable thirst for knowledge?" she offered half-heartedly. "It's just—we only get to translate things that have already been translated! I want a _real_ challenge."

Scorpius smirked. "And _could_ you translate something properly that hadn't yet been translated if given the chance?"

Her ears turned red as she heaved a sigh. "Well, no, probably not entirely," she admitted reluctantly.

"Then I'd concentrate on walking before you take off running, pet," he said in this _one particular tone_ that always left her itching to smack him.

Rose settled for lobbing a pillow at his head.

"Hey!" he objected, dodging with reflexes his tenure on the Quiddich team had no doubt honed. "Watch it, you, or I'll be forced to retaliate."

There was a long moment where they stared at each other in anticipation. Rose broke it when she threw another pillow at him. Immediately, Scorpius was on his feet. She matched him for speed (if not coordination) and, each holding soft weapons in their hands, the pair circled.

So, okay, it wasn't a terribly productive with their time but at least she got a temporary reprieve from Ancient Runes. Silver lining and all that.

* * *

The day of the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quiddich match, Rose's stomach was in knots. Scorpius was fine with her sitting with her housemates but who was she to _root_ for? In her heart, she knew she wanted the Lions to triumph… but she didn't want Scorpius to _lose_, either. So, yeah. She was a bit stressed.

In the end, there could be only one winner. Albus played his heart out but, without James as seeker, they were doomed from the start. Slytherin won by a narrow margin and, though she resigned herself to an evening of comforting and coddling her cousins, a small part of her was pleased. Scorpius had played _particularly _well. She was actually quite proud of him.

So proud, in fact, that she braved the icy weather to wait for him to exit the changing rooms. She promised to meet her cousins and friends bearing gifts (as, like her parents before her, Rose had discovered a number of the castle's secrets) and they left her mostly without complaint. Finally, a freshly showered Scorpius appeared with a silly grin plastered across his face.

"Congratulations!" she cried, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around him. "You were completely brilliant out there."

His grin didn't dim, though he had a curious look on his face. "Careful, someone might hear you and think you were plotting with the enemy."

She swatted at his shoulder. "I'm sure you're dying to join in the party down in the dungeon—" Gryffindor was still Slytherin's biggest rival, after all, "but I thought I'd walk you. I need to stop by the kitchens, anyway."

"Oh?"

Rose smiled. "Yes. And, no, I'm not telling you how to get inside. I'm sure you've got castle secrets of your own; I'm entitled keep mine."

He was smirking now as he threw an arm around her shoulder. "Fair enough," he agreed, though she guessed it was mostly for the sake of agreeing. Good moods were like that.

They walked in a comfortable silence, Scorpius practically beaming pride and Rose content to drink it in. He was rarely so open and it made her feel as if she almost knew him. It was nice.

When they reached the staircase leading down to the Slytherin common room, he pulled away and started toward them. "Scorpius, wait!" Rose called suddenly, an unfamiliar urgency pushing at her insides. He turned, raising one eyebrow expectantly and she felt the knots in her belly pull tighter. (She should've just let him go. But no. Something had pushed her at this moment and she couldn't back down now.) "I, uh… er, about your mum—"

"Rose, you don't have to say anything," he interrupted, trying to force a smile and failing miserably. (So much for that good mood.) "It was four years ago."

She shook her head. "No, I do. Please, just—just let me say my piece." The fear and guilt twisted up her insides but she knew it was long past due that she made amends for all her terrible treatment of Scorpius years earlier. (Besides, now that the can of worms was open, it wasn't like she could close it again.)

Taking a breath, Rose found her voice: "I know it was horrible—that _I_ was horrible to you when your… when your mum died. It was completely unfair and I was an utter berk. I know there's no excuse—there can _never_ be an excuse, but I…" She looked down in shame. "I was jealous. Inexplicably and irrationally _jealous_ because my mum and dad had just divorced and it felt so unfair that you were getting all the attention and sympathy when I felt like someone had ripped out my heart and trounced it.

"But," she continued hurriedly, catching the guarded expression on his face, "I was a total idiot for even thinking the words. Honestly, I can't even begin to explain how my mind was working because it's nonsensical. I was so very wrong, and I just—I want you to know how _sorry_ I am. For all the times I was difficult and all the terrible things I said. For Godric's sake, your _mum_ died and I thought something as stupid as divorce could even compare?" Rose was _beyond_ disgusted by her younger self. "I really don't even know how you can stand to be near me."

There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence between them. Rose held her breath, praying it hadn't been a mistake. Hoping that he might understand, even just a tiny bit. That he might forgive her and maybe there wouldn't have to be this terribly awkward _thing_ constantly hovering about them. Because if he didn't—if he couldn't… she really thought she might be losing something important. And that worried her more than a dumb thing like pride. (Never mind that pride was basically the reason she was here now, having fueled the entire boyfriend plot in the first place.)

"It is a trial," Scorpius said finally, tone grave and face serious. Her brows were furrowed with concern and confusion, so he clarified: "Being around you, that is. But, somehow, I manage to suffer through." He tried to fight off his smile but it was a losing battle.

Rose clucked her tongue and crossed her arms. "Mean," she grumbled, slightly put out.

His smile didn't wane. "You're so dramatic, Rose," he replied, "how could I not take advantage? In all seriousness, though—" and he did look serious again, "it was a long time ago. Consider it water under the bridge or whatever colloquialism fits." She must've looked unconvinced because he took her hands in his and gave a squeeze. "And Rose? Thank you." He pecked her cheek before releasing her and running a hand rakishly through his hair. "Now, I'm off to celebrate!" With that, Scorpius turned and sauntered off, broom leaning on his shoulder.

Shaking her head, Rose watched him for a moment before doubling back toward the painting that led to the kitchen. _Boys._ They had the emotional maturity of gnats, honestly. But she, at least, was glad to get all that off her chest. Now all she had to do was feed the Gryffindor quiddich team and listen to her cousins mope for hours. _Awesome._ (It really was too bad she couldn't join the Slytherins. Theirs was bound to be more fun than what she was facing.)


	5. A Relative Calm

**********Author's Note:** Once again, I'd like to give my sincerest thanks to all the kind folks who have favorited and reviewed and followed this little beast. I _really_ appreciate it. :) Here we finally get a bit of parental input and how our heroes ended up single in the first place. For some reason, this chapter was really hard for me to title. I'm still not** in love** with it but _c'est la vie_. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy! :) Cheers~**********  
**Disclaimer: Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 5: ****A (Relative) Calm**

Exam season passed spectacularly quickly and soon enough it was time for winter holidays. Rose and Hugo were to spend the first part with their mum and the second at the Burrow with the rest of the Weasley/Potter/Lupin/Scamander clan. The whole thing passed painlessly enough, save for one awkward conversation between Rose and Hermione that went as follows:

"So, I hear you've become mates with Scorpius Malfoy."

"What of it?"

"Well, I don't know if I like that. And you _know_ your father won't."

"I do know that."

"It's probably best if you stay away from him."

"Mum! How can you say that?"

"What?"

"You're always preaching about equality and not judging people by their pasts or stereotypes."

"Well, I… er, that's really not…"

"And aren't you working with Mr. Malfoy on researching some of the magical objects he's found at the Manor?"

"That's my job, yes, but I hardly think—"

"So I really don't see how you can tell me to stay away from his _son_."

"It's just that his family has always been a bit… _unsavory._"

"Unsavory? Is that the best you can do?"

"Unfortunately it seems to be."

Rose just rolled her eyes and that was the end of that.

* * *

Rose was fighting a yawn as she sat in the library, her first day back after winter vacation. It wasn't even late but she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. As she was reading a novel for pleasure and not studying, she decided to pack it in and head up to bed. She wanted to be in top form when classes resumed the following morning.

Just as she was exiting the library, she ran into a very solid something. Or rather, it ran into her. "Oh!" she gasped, instinctively bracing herself but the something—some_one_, apparently—caught her before the fall. When she looked up, steely gray eyes were staring back down at her. "Scorpius," she greeted breathlessly, a hand on her chest. "You surprised me!" She paused and smiled. "So how were _your_ hols?"

"Eh," he replied with a shrug, releasing her once she was steady again and had caught her breath. "My dad and I traveled to Romania to visit our family. It was… interesting." Rose raised an eyebrow and he grinned. "We agreed to visit Vale next year instead."

Laughing, she shook her head. "Well, mine were lovely. Spent most of them at the Burrow but I did have a few days at the start with my mum." Frowning, a crease formed between her eyebrows. "She was acting a bit dodgy about you, actually."

Scorpius blinked. "Me? What did I do?"

It was Rose's turn to shrug. "I really couldn't say. Maybe your dad was telling her stories while they were working?"

"Can't be," Scorpius replied, puffing out his chest. "Dad does nothing but brag endlessly about me. I'm the Malfoy heir, you know."

Rose put on a show as if he'd shocked her greatly. "Really? You don't say! Well, so glad you've cleared that up. I'll be sure to alert the media first thing tomorrow."

He blew a raspberry at her and she laughed.

"So listen," she continued as they turned the corner, "I was thinking over break about your situation with Abigail and I came up with—"

Scorpius put a hand on her arm, cutting her off. "Rose, relax. We just got back. We can worry about all that later. What I really want to hear about are the famous Weasley antics… and if they have anything to do with Roxanne's green braids and Hugo's shaved head."

Rose snickered at the memory. "Okay. But it's a bit of a story…"

* * *

As always, Rose was grateful for the warmth the Three Broomsticks provided. She rubbed her hands together while Scorpius carried over a round of Butterbeers. She accepted her mug with a smile and salute of thanks.

He shrugged it off, sipping his own drink. He threw his free arm around her shoulders, eyes scouting the various patrons bustling about the pub. They were seated in a corner, which afforded them both a good view and gave the illusion that they wanted privacy.

The silence was companionable. Rose snuggled closer when she caught sight of Abigail and her Slytherin posse glancing their way. She turned her head and whispered into his ear, "We have an audience."

Scorpius smiled, leaning his chin down to return the favor. "So I noticed. Didn't spot any blokes with them, either."

Rose smiled at him and shook her head. "Nope. Guess Abigail wanted to give us her undivided attention." She nuzzled his neck. "_Definitely_ a good sign."

"Maybe," Scorpius conceded. "Or he's working." Off her furrowed brow he explained: "Prat's a Healer-in-training."

"Mmm," Rose hummed in understanding. "She still came out to watch you, though, didn't she?"

That made Scorpius chuckle into her hair. "Point."

While Abigail's glare grew more heated, Rose could only smile wider. She lifted a hand and waved her fingers at the girls. That was apparently all the younger girl could take. She didn't bother finishing her drink before leading her crew out in a huff.

Rose laughed lightly as she pulled away from Scorpius enough to look at him. "See? _Definitely_ not over you."

Rubbing a hand over his face, he didn't look nearly as amused—or convinced. "Maybe not…"

Her brows furrowed. "What happened between you two?" she asked before thinking better of it. Which led to a hastily added: "I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"Nah, it's fine." Scorpius slouched in his chair. "Abby's gran fell ill over the summer. I visited with her when she was at home but when they transferred her to St. Mungo's…"

Rose's hand went to her mouth and she let out a small, "Oh!" Her expression was all sympathy as she patted his arm in an attempt to comfort him. "Scorpius, I—"

He held up a hand to silence her, shaking his head. "So while I was made excuses and avoided, that Healer bloke was all understanding and helpful and blah-blah-blah." There was no mistaking the disgust in his tone. "She owled a couple weeks before term began to break it off. Said she needed someone who would _be there_ for her and that I'd proved that wasn't me.

"I tried to explain," he gave her a meaningful look and Rose knew he was talking about the conversation she'd overheard on the train, "but by then she wasn't hearing it." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I guess I can't really blame her. If I'd just explained…"

Rose put an arm around his shoulders now and leaned in to give him a (only slightly awkward) half-hug. "Hey, don't do that. You'll get her back and then all this will be water under the bridge, yeah?" She nudged his shoulder with his. "_Yeah?_"

"Yeah," he agreed, though she suspected it was more to placate her than from actual belief in what she was saying.

Rose poked him in the chest. "I'm serious, Scorpius. You're a _good_ guy. So you made a mistake—it happens. You should hear about all the dumb stuff Dirk did while we were dating." She shook her head. "At least you had a legitimate reason."

The firm line of Scorpius's mouth relaxed a bit. "True." He threw his arm around the back of her chair again and reclined. "So now you know my story—what about you?"

"What about me?" Rose returned innocently.

Scorpius poked her side. "What happened with you and Dirk?"

Rose wrinkled her nose. "It wasn't anything."

He lifted his brows. "_Right._"

She released a long-suffering sigh. "_Fine._ But I'm going to need another Butterbeer for my trouble."

There was laughter in Scorpius's eyes and a smirk on his face. (An expression Rose _never_ thought she'd be glad to see but here they were.) "Sold." He waved at the bartender to indicate they needed refills. "Now spill."

Suppressing another sigh, Rose shook her head. "It was nothing, you know? He went on holiday in the French countryside, met a bird and fell in love. Flooed me a week before the new term began and broke it off."

He winced. "That had to hurt…"

"Honestly? I think it hurt my pride more than my feelings. I liked Dirk—he was a good snog and a decent enough friend—but, even though we were exclusive, there was never anything more than caring there." Which, truthfully, was exactly the way Rose had wanted it. For some reason, though, she didn't want to admit that to Scorpius. "Does that make sense?"

"No." He nodded his thanks to the waiter as he handed over some money to pay for their drinks, while Rose gaped at him. Scorpius grinned. "Joking."

She punched him in the arm. "Ha-_ha_," she said sarcastically, sipping her drink. "I swear, you are _so_ annoying."

He smirked. "You love it."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Don't make me come over there, Malfoy."

"Promises, promises, Weasely."

Rose punched his arm again, giggling. "You're ridiculous." When he opened his mouth again, she shook her head. "Don't start! Otherwise we'll never get to Honeydukes."

Scorpius rolled his eyes but acquiesced: "Yes, dear."


	6. No Muss, No Fuss

**Author's Note:** Extra special thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited! It's still Sunday in my timezone, so I'm counting this as on time. ;D Unbeta'd but I did my best! Please let me know if I missed anything. :) Hope y'all enjoy! Cheers.**  
Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 6: No Muss, No Fuss**

The Slytherin/Hufflepuff match was a surprisingly close game. In the end, though, all the heart in the world couldn't stop the more skilled Slytherin team. Rose was ecstatic for Scorpius. At some point, rooting for her faux-boyfriend had turned from habit into genuine enthusiasm.

This time, she didn't wait for Scorpius on the pitch—the weather was rubbish and she was still recovering from a bout of influenza. Instead, she headed inside and snuck down to the kitchen. The House Elves there were happy to see her and even happier to fill her request for a tray of pumpkin pasties. (They were Scorpius's favorite treat; inexplicably, he didn't care much for chocolate.)

Rose chatted amicably with a couple of the Elves, enjoying a cup of hot cider as she waited. It was over an hour before everything was ready—pastries never tasted right when magically prepared instead of properly oven baked—and she thanked the Elves profusely for their work. They were, of course, only too pleased to have helped.

The halls were mostly empty as Rose slipped out of the kitchens. She figured Scorpius would be celebrating with his team, so she headed for the dungeons.

As expected, there were the muted sounds of a party coming from behind the common room entrance. What Rose had _not_ thought about was her lack of password. She was just considering leaving the tray to the side of the entryway and hoping someone found it when a couple of fifth year boys made a somewhat fumbling exit, just barely missing Rose and her tray in their obliviousness. (Prats.)

She was half a step into the room when she spotted Scorpius. He was in a liplock with a darkhaired girl from the year below theirs that Rose recognized as Pansy Parkinson's slag of a daughter Ophelia. (She'd never actually had much interaction with the girl but, as she was currently snogging Rose's boyfriend, she figured it was probably an accurate character judgment. Sure, he was only her _pretend_ boyfriend but _Ophelia_ didn't know that.)

The platter fell from her hands, the metal making a loud clang as pasties littered the ground around it. The noise was enough to catch Scorpius's attention and he (along with the majority of the occupants in the room) turned to look at her. Rose only had eyes for the boy she'd thought had at least a passing respect for her person, though. Her expression was even and her eyes fierce as she met his gaze for a moment that felt as if it lasted hours.

Nodding sharply, she spun on her heel and stalked away. Rose was furious—she knew she was furious—but traitorous tears were already making her eyes burn. From somewhere behind her, she heard Scorpius calling after her but that just sent her into a run.

Instead of heading to the Gryffendor common room (where she'd undoubtedly be asked all kinds of probing questions), she made for the Prefect's bathroom. It was large and usually empty after quiddich matches. Most importantly, though, it was private and the door had a lock. There would be no well-meaning but unwelcome comfort from housemates or cousins there. No, here she would be able to wallow in her misery as much and as long as she wanted.

Not that she _was _miserable, of course. No, Rose didn't care that Scorpius had acted the part of the cad. That was _his_ business as far as she was concerned. It was just the disrespect that it showed. Friends should not treat each other that way. (And she had honestly thought they were friends.)

It was just that here, alone in the large bathroom, she somehow felt his betrayal all the more acutely. Especially when she finally gave herself permission to let her choked sobs free. She'd never cried over a boy before—_never._ Not even Dirk, who was basically the cause of this whole mess in the first place.

Rose vowed she'd forget all about this ridiculous business with Scorpius Malfoy. Her plans were ruined, anyway, and she didn't have room in her life to waste on him.

* * *

Word spread quickly through the castle about the incident between Rose and Scorpius. Thankfully, though, the sympathy wasn't too overbearing this time—probably due to the perpetual scowl that now resided on Rose's face. (An incensed Weasley was a rather frightening thing.) Even her cousins and brother were tolerable, simply offering hugs, support and ears of all shapes and sizes to listen if she wanted to talk.

In fact, the only person who really wasn't following Rose's nonverbal edict message to sod off was Scorpius Malfoy. He spent their shared classes trying to get her attention and the rest of the time attempting to corner her. He finally succeeded one afternoon outside the greenhouses before Herbology. "Rose, listen—"

"Scorpius, stop." Rose crossed her arms, realizing she couldn't avoid the inevitable any longer. She looked away for a moment to gather her wits and then turned back to face him. "You don't need to explain. That was part of the deal, remember?" To her own ears, her voice rang hollow and the pit in her stomach that she just _could not get rid of_ turned over unpleasantly.

He frowned. "But—"

"All right, Rose?" The (entirely welcome) interruption came from none other than Professor (and honorary Uncle) Longbottom. He was smiling in an affable way but there was steel in his gaze.

Rose forced a strained smile and nodded. "Of course, sir." She gave Scorpius a look that told him not to follow if he wanted to maintain use of all his limbs and sauntered into the greenhouse for class.

After that, he seemed to get the message. She couldn't figure out why she was disappointed by that. Because she'd gotten what she wanted… right?

* * *

It was two weeks later when Rose found herself alone with Abigail in one of the dungeon corridors. She didn't know why she was loitering—seriously, what was she doing?—but here they were. "Abigail," she greeted with a nod.

"Rose," the other girl returned, as standoffish as ever. _Brilliant._

Suppressing a sigh, Rose smile tightly instead. "Listen, I understand why you were frustrated with Scorpius's behavior," she started; "I know you wanted him to be there with you at St. Mungo's—"

Abigail's eyes narrowed. "He told you about that?"

Rose ignored her hostile tone. "Did you know his mother was sick for over two years before she died?"

The shock was visible on Abigail's face. "What?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "And for the majority of that time, guess where she stayed."

A look of understanding dawned on the younger girl's face. "Oh. I-I didn't realize…"

Shrugging, Rose stuck her hands in the pockets of her robes. "Most people don't; the Malfoys like their privacy." For obvious reasons, she thought, considering how many things—most outright untrue—were said about them. "Makes sense that he wouldn't be too keen on going to the hospital, though, don't you think?"

Abigail nodded, eyes clouded. Rose returned the gesture before turning to walk away.

"Hey, Rose?" The call came before she was fully out of hearing distance.

Rose stopped, glancing back over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Why are you defending him?" Abigail asked after another few seconds of hesitation. "With everything that happened, I mean."

That was a good question—one Rose didn't have a particularly good answer for. So she just shrugged again. "Because I still think he's a good person," she said, surprised to find she meant it. "He made a mistake but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be happy." And, for reasons she didn't understand or care to dissect, she _did_ want him to be happy.

Abigail bit her lip. "Yeah, okay." She looked down. "Thanks."

Rose watched her for a minute before continuing on her way. She was relatively certain she'd done the right thing (even if the precise reasons weren't entirely clear just then). The thing she couldn't figure out was why she didn't feel better about it.


	7. Fine Enough

**Author's Note:** The end is near! And I'm even _almost_ on time. ;) Anyway, thanks to all who've supported me thus far—I appreciate you so much! Thanks.**  
Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapter 7: Fine Enough**

It was Sunday and Rose was studying in the library. She'd honestly rather not but her Herbology assignment wasn't completing itself. She'd been working dutifully for over an hour when someone joined her. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Miles sitting across from her. "Hullo Miles," she greeted, brows furrowed a bit with confusion.

"Afternoon, fair Rose," he replied with a nod. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Stretching, she put her quill down and shook her head. "I could use the break," she admitted. That still didn't tell her why he was there, though—Miles was Scorpius's friend, not hers, and they hadn't spoken more than a few words to each other since The Incident as it'd been deemed by most. (Rose herself liked to think of it as Scorpius's Colossal Fuck Up That Proved Her Father Right, Damn It.) "What's on your mind?"

The shyness in Miles' expression was more the sort of thing she'd expect of a Hufflepuff, not a Slytherin. "Um, I wanted to, er, speak with you about something."

He seemed nervous, so she smiled encouragingly. "Oh-kay…"

"Well, as you know, the Leaving Ball's almost here," he started, rubbing the back of his neck, "and I thought—I mean, I'm sure you've plenty of better offers but if it comes down to it and you haven't found someone you'd like to go with, I thought I'd toss my name in for contention."

The invitation was rambling and unexpected but utterly _lovely_ as far as Rose was concerned. She opened her mouth to tell him as much when the sound of a scuffle in the stacks caught her attention. Turning, she saw Abigail pulling Scorpius down for a long kiss. (His back being to her, she didn't see his eyes widen in surprise, then confusion before he fully acquiesced.)

Rose wanted to look away, she really did, but she couldn't. Not until Abigail had dragged them far enough into the Magical Creatures section that they were no longer visible. (Sure, she'd known this was a possibility after she'd spoken with the younger girl but a part of her hadn't been prepared to see them together all the same.) Off-balance, she turned back to Miles and tried to smile as she prepared to make a belated reply.

Miles saved her the trouble. "You don't have to answer now," he told her hurriedly, standing up. "The offer's good up until dance time." He smiled at her and waved as he made for the exit.

Somehow her brain didn't process his words until he was already out the door. Rose dropped her head to her hands. Ugh, what was wrong with her? A perfectly sweet boy that she actually _liked_ (though not as anything more than a friend) was being lovely to her and she'd let _Scorpius_ who she _didn't _like (at _all_ in _any_ way… anymore) ruin it for her! Bloody hell, what was that about?

Deciding she didn't want to be around whenever Abigail and Scorpius appeared again, Rose packed up her things and headed for the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

Albus and Rose were cleaning up after a slight mishap in Potions when he oh-so-casually cleared his throat. "So you've been moping around for weeks now."

Scowling, she scrubbed her cauldron a bit harder than was strictly necessary. "I've not."

"Sure you have," he countered calmly. "You cover it well and most everyone is too scared of your temper to question you about it," he pointed a finger at her, "but if you think I don't see right through your act, then you're daft."

Rose glared at him. "S'not an act."

Albus gave her a Look. "You want to try again, Rosie?"

Sighing, she deflated a little. (And not because he used her father's favorite nickname for her.) "I don't want to talk about it."

He shrugged lightly. "I know."

"Then you felt the need to bring this up why?" Rose asked with a frown.

"I just hate to see you unhappy, you know?" Albus nudged her shoulder with his own. "Plus, I thought you could use this." He punctuated by wrapping her in a warm hug.

Despite herself, she smiled a little. "Corny."

"But did it help?" he questioned, tone implying he already knew the answer.

"A little," she admitted, not as reluctantly as she might've.

"Then that's all that matters." Somehow he managed to keep the smug out of his voice as he spoke, too. Rose admired that. (She doubted she'd be able to do the same if their roles had been reversed.)

The pair continued cleaning for a few minutes before Rose spoke again. "You're going to gloat about this for a while, aren't you?"

Albus smirked. "Probably."

"Prat." Her tone was too affectionate for the insult to carry much (or any) weight.

* * *

"Rose!"

The call surprised her because of who it'd come from. Turning, she faced her ex-boyfriend with an even expression. "Dirk."

He was smiling down at her in the way she used to find sweet but now seemed vapid. "So the Leaving Ball's almost here," he commented as if feeling her out.

Rose decided she wasn't going to give him anything to work with. "It is," she agreed simply, hitching her bag higher onto her shoulder.

Dirk's smile faltered for a moment, but he pressed on. Taking her hand, he brushed some hair off her forehead. "I'd really like to go with you if you don't already have plans."

Brows furrowed slightly, Rose peered up at Dirk. "What about your girlfriend?" she asked shrewdly.

"Oh, we broke up," he replied with an easy shrug. "You were right; it's stupid to be thinking about things like love when we're so young."

Rose blinked. "Yeah." It was said quietly and without much conviction. She remembered saying something like that but it felt like a lifetime ago; now she didn't know what she believed. She caught sight of Scorpius not far away, watching them with an unreadable expression on his face. Her stomach clenched and she turned her attention back to Dirk.

Grinning widely, her _real _ex-boyfriend was practically beaming at her. "You'll go with me then?"

(Once the question was out there, Scorpius didn't stick around for the answer. He didn't need to watch Rose making the same stupid mistake again.)

Rose blinked once more and suddenly it was like she was seeing the boy standing in front of her for the first time—and how utterly useless he _truly_ was. She returned his smile. "No, Thomas," she told him sweetly, pulling her hand from his grasp. Dirk's face fell. "Not a chance in hell." She headed off without so much as a glance back. A lovely boy had already asked her to the ball. It was high time she stopped acting like a twit and took him up on his offer.

* * *

Lily was lying on Rose's bed, flipping through the latest Witch Weekly when she finally couldn't take it any longer. She just _had_ to know. "So… you're really going to the ball with Miles?"

Rose was on Roxanne's bed plaiting her cousin's hair with red and gold ribbons. "Yup."

Wrinkling her nose, Lily put down the magazine. "Really? 'Cause Kiki told me Dirk asked you. I mean, wouldn't you rather go with him?"

"Nope."

Lily made a face. "But Miles is _so_…"

"_Miles_ is great," Rose interrupted sharply, silencing Lily with a cold glare, "and _Dirk_ is a vain bore."

"Well, I guess that answers the question about whether you're fully over him or not," Roxanne remarked dryly, passing some hair ties to Rose. "But what about Scorpius?"

Rose stiffened. "What _about_ Scorpius?"

Because her back was to Rose, Roxanne didn't bother trying to hide her knowing smirk. "He's Miles' friend. Are you sure this isn't—"

"_No._" She tugged on Roxanne's hair more forcefully than necessary to make certain her cousin was paying attention. "Miles asked me, not the other way around. Besides, I told you the thing with Scorpius wasn't… _you know._"

Rose hadn't meant to tell, it'd just kind of… come out the night she saw Scorpius and Abigail in the library. She'd left out the part where she'd orchestrated the entire ruse (more for her sake than Scorpius's—she'd felt foolish enough at the time without admitting that part) but confided that they were more friends than anything else and what really hurt her was that he hadn't had the decency to talk to her before making her look like an idiot by snogging another girl. From the expression on Roxanne's face, she hadn't bought all that Rose was selling, but she'd offered comfort and chocolate and that'd been enough.

Lily perked up—the girl was like a bloodhound for gossip, always trying to sniff out secrets. "That wasn't what?"

Both older girls ignored her and Rose shifted topics. "Hey, Lily—is it true James is coming back to escort Dreema to the ball or is he having us on?"

Lily huffed at being left out of the loop but followed her cousin's lead. It wasn't often she got to be the one to share family news first, after all. Being one of the youngest was like that.


	8. Conflict Resolution

**Author's Note:** This is it! The final chapter! (Well, minus the epilogue, which will be posted next Sunday… possibly actually on time.) Thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed and reviewed—you're all amazing and I'm immensely grateful. Not 100% sure I'm satisfied with everything in this chapter but I'd just keep editing it forever if I didn't post it already, so. Yeah. Cheers!**  
Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal  
**by Bether

**Chapte****r 8: Conflict Resolution**

Rose and Miles were spinning on the dance floor almost but not quite in time with the beat. The hairdo Lily and Roxanne had slaved over for the better part of the afternoon was slowly falling apart thanks to all the sharp turns and dips. She didn't much care, though, as the lavender dress robes her mum had given her for Christmas fanned out around her because she was having _fun_. It felt like ages since she'd let go and just had fun.

In fact, Miles had kept her laughing throughout the entire evening. Her cheeks were starting to ache from smiling so much and she thought that was what all celebrations ought to be like. She vowed to make more time for fun and laughter now that her scholastic career was coming to an end.

There was a brief pause in the music during which Rose and Miles caught their breath. Brushing back a loose curl, Rose was happily flushed. A new song began but Miles appeared momentarily distracted. She was about to ask if he was all right when he spoke up: "Libations, milady?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm quite parched myself."

Giggling at his goofy nature, she agreed that a drink would be rather nice. She turned to watch Miles head for refreshment table when a body blocked her view. Blinking, she moved her gaze to the face of none other than Scorpius Malfoy.

For the first time that night, the smile left her face. "Scorpius."

"I was going to ask to cut in," he said, skipping over the usual pleasantries generally required by polite society.

Rose felt slightly perturbed (he'd lost the right to familiarity _months_ ago) but did her best to mask it. "Well, Miles went that way," she said, pointing over his shoulder. "I'm sure you can catch up to him without too much trouble."

For a moment Scorpius looked confused, then his lips quirked into a smirk. "May I have a dance, Rose?" he asked all manners and flourish now.

Her voice of reason told her to say no but her mouth didn't listen. "Sure, okay." It felt mechanically—the agreement, the movement to place her hand in his—like none of this was real. (She wished more than a little that it really wasn't.)

He led her onto the dance floor then turned to face her. One hand went to her waist, the other took her hand and Rose had never hated the properness of waltzing so much. With her free hand resting lightly on his shoulder, she followed his lead and prayed this would pass painlessly—assuming such a thing was even possible.

Oh, well. At least Scorpius didn't seem terribly keen on conversing.

Although… if he didn't want to talk, why had he bothered her with the request to dance in the first place? A flash of anger struck her and she clenched her jaw. Was he playing with her? After everything that'd happened and he thought he had the _right?_ Well, if he thought she was just going to let him do whatever he pleased, then he was about to experience a _rude_ awakening.

Starting with the elephant in the room: "So where's Abigail?" she asked pointedly.

Shrugging, he spun her out and back to him. "Dunno."

Rose's eyes narrowed. After all the time and effort he'd put into winning her back? _Please._ He wasn't getting off that easily. "What? You lose her in the crowd or something?"

"Didn't invite her," Scorpius replied easily. "I came stag."

Eyes widening, she nearly stopped dancing in surprise. "What? Why?"

He gave her a pointed look of his own. "I didn't _want_ to invite her. And the girl I _did_ want to invite already had a date."

Rose felt her heart skip a beat, but she ignored it. "Don't," she ordered in a low tone. "We are not doing this." Not here, not now—not _ever_ if she had her say. It was too much! And she honestly didn't know if she was more concerned he might be toying with her or that he might _not._

The hand on her waist tightened perceptibly as he pulled her closer to him. "Typical." Her eyes flashed with anger but he pressed on. "Merlin, Rose, you make talking to you bloody _impossible._"

"I do not," she huffed indignantly.

He shook his head. "Do so."

"Do not!" (And now she sounded like a five-year-old, great.)

Scorpius scoffed. "Prove me wrong then. Just this once, how about you actually let me explain—?"

Rose bristled. "There's _nothing_ to explain."

"Would you just let me fucking _finish?_" Aggravation had leaked into his tone; it matched the upset in his expression. "Merlin, Rose! I'm trying to tell you that I _love_ you."

This time Rose did stop moving; in fact, she froze on the spot. "What?" she whispered after an infinitely long moment. "No." She shook her head, expression severe. "That's not funny, Scorpius." For a moment, she had the insane urge to slap him. Instead, she pushed him away and marched out of the Hall.

Multiple sets of eyes followed her but she couldn't bring herself to give a damn. Not when her stomach was a mess, her brain felt broken and she couldn't decide whether she wanted to scream or cry.

It didn't take long for Scorpius to catch up to her (damn his longer stride) and latch onto her arm. "I'm serious, Rose."

Rounding to face him, she tried to shake him off. "No, you're not." There was something desperate (and perhaps a bit hysterical) in her insistence.

It was easily matched by his steely determination. "Yes, I _am._"

"No." Rose finally succeeded in freeing herself from his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest. "You love _Abigail_." Hadn't everything been for her? Wasn't that the whole point? Nothing made any sense!

"No, I _don't_," Scorpius replied. "I thought I did but then you were gone and it was like… everything was a bit darker for it." He looked a bit pained but she suspected he'd probably never said anything quite so poncy before, so… yeah.

Only now Rose felt stuck. Seriously—what the bloody hell was she supposed to say to _that? _She threw her hands up in frustration. "Well… you can't!"

Now he seemed confused. "What? Why not?"

She stared down at the stone floor, as miserable as she'd felt when her parents told her they were separating. (The truth hurt like that sometimes.) "Because then I'll have to admit that I…" she took a breath and blurted out the rest, "love-you-too."

Scorpius tipped her chin up with his hand, so she was forced to look at him. "That's a bad thing?"

It shouldn't be. Intellectually, she knew that. But watching her parents marriage fall apart had quite literally broken her heart. She'd never wanted anyone to wield that kind of power over her again and the thought that he might—that he quite possibly already _did_—terrified her.

"It is if you hurt me," she admitted finally, voice small. Fuck, she hated feeling small. Hated feeling compelled to do things, too, but his stare had worn her down.

"Rose, I _never_ want to hurt you." He sounded like he meant it, too.

There was just one thing. (Too bad it was the only thing that really mattered where that whole trust thing was concerned.) "Okay." She took a breath before forcing herself to ask the question she was still pretty sure she didn't want an answer to: "Then why did you snog Ophelia?"

"Honestly? That berk latched onto me and kissed me before I even knew what was happening." Scorpius shook his head. "I was trying to push her off when you walked in—I _swear._" He sounded sincere, he looked sincere.

Rose bit her lip, still uncertain. She tried to remember that night but it was all too hazy with anger and hurt. Which left her the option of trusting him—or not.

She thought about all of the stupid reasons they'd teamed up in the first place, all the reasons they shouldn't bother with this mess. She supposed he could be trying to trick her but what would be the point? They were leaving Hogwarts for the final time in a matter of days and it wasn't like he owed her anything (at least, not according to the terms of their agreement).

So why? Why explain himself when he didn't have to? Why chase after her when she ran? Why tell her he loved her _at all?_

Maybe… maybe because it was true.

Sure, it was probably true that a part of her was hopeful because she felt that way herself but maybe that was all right. She'd guarded her heart as fiercely as possible and he'd still managed to slither in like the sneaky Slytherin he was. And if he broke her heart, well, that might be okay, too (although she hoped she wouldn't have to find out firsthand).

Bottom line: she wanted to believe him, she wanted to trust him, she wanted to be with him and have it be _real._ She wanted to give _them_ a try.

Rose let herself smile a little and nodded. "Okay."

He grinned and it reached his eyes. "I wanted to tell you before but…" He shrugged. "And then Abby wanted to get back together and it was all so much _easier_—"

She frowned, crossing her arms again. "Gee, thanks."

Somehow Scorpius managed to keep her gaze. "But it wasn't worth anything because she wasn't _you_." There was this burning intensity to his words and in his eyes and she felt her insides melt just a bit. (Well, maybe more than a bit.)

She hid said melty feelings with a light laugh, pushing his shoulder playfully. "Charmer."

He ran a hand through his hair, smirking. "I do try."

Despite her inclination to be contrary, she settled on sincerity. "You do succeed—mostly." (Couldn't have him getting a big head, after all.) She toyed with her hair, hoping she wasn't exuding the nervous energy she felt. "So… what now?"

Scorpius leaned down until his lips were a hair's breadth away from hers. "_This._" Then he kissed her, soft and solid. Sweet and warm—like he _loved_ her.

Shifting closer, Rose smiled against his lips. He loved her.

(Yeah, definitely the best Ball she'd ever been to.)


	9. Epilogue: So It Goes

**Author's Note:** So this is ridiculously late and for that I apologize. I am not particularly happy with this chapter—the title, the ending, etc.—and had hoped time would give me some perspective (or at least some ideas on how to make it better). Alas, it did not. But I felt awful for not just finishing the silly thing, so here we are! A ginormous thank you to everyone who stuck with this—you guys are amazing and I hope this isn't too disappointing. Cheers.**  
****Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios, while _Drive Me Crazy_ is property of 20th Century Fox. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue!

**How to Deal**  
by Bether

**Epilogue: So It Goes**

It was well past curfew by the time Rose returned to the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't that she'd been avoiding it (and her family by proxy) but rather that she'd been somewhat _distracted_ after leaving the Ball. Plus, she'd needed to apologize to Miles for inadvertently ditching him and that took a bit of time, too.

Still, there was a part of her that was dreading having to explain herself to her army of relatives. (Ugh and with her luck James was probably there, as well. Because all the cousins that were actually _enrolled_ at Hogwarts weren't enough, right?)

Only they weren't really enough, it seemed, because Albus was the sole family member awaiting her return. "How'd you do that?" she asked in an awed voice.

He smirked, making him look far more like James than ought to be possible given how different they were in appearance and manner. "It's a gift."

Out of gratitude, Rose suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I owe you now, don't I?"

"Definitely." Albus shook his head. "You should have _heard_ the fits pitched. Lucky for you, I didn't mind helping out my _favorite_ cousin."

She smiled warmly. "Thanks, Al. You're the best." Rose figured that was end of it and began moving toward the girl's dorm.

Albus had other ideas, though, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I've missed you, Rosie," he whispered into her hair. It was so quiet that she thought maybe he hadn't meant her to hear.

But she had, so when he finally released her, Rose felt sufficiently confused. "Come on, Al… I'm not _that_ late."

After a moment of uncomfortable surprise (so he _hadn't_ meant her to hear), he obliged her with an explanation: "You've been so miserable these last couple of months. It seemed like every smile was forced and when your anger wore out, you just looked… _sad_ all the time." He shrugged one of his shoulders awkwardly. "I've been worried—we all have."

"Oh." Rose blinked. "I didn't mean to—"

Albus waved her off. "I know." He nudged her shoulder with his. "But it's really good to see you happy." He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end thanks to all the dried Sleekeazy Hair Potion he'd used to flatten it for the ball. "Not as good as it was to see Dreema turn down James's offer to spend the night in Hogsmead with him but definitely a close second."

Jaw dropping, Rose shook her head. "She _didn't!_ I bet he was completely gobsmacked." It was obvious by the smirk he'd worn all night that he'd thought the act of coming to Hogwarts to escort his on-again, off-again girlfriend meant he was totally in. "I wish I could've seen that." Then she remembered what she'd been doing instead of playing witness. "Well, not really…"

"No details!" Albus immediately covered his ears and shook his head.

Rose poked him and they both laughed. Then they went their separate ways, warm beds calling out to them both.

* * *

Rose could honestly say she hadn't been hiding her relationship with Scorpius from her parents—seriously! It was just that the end of term was only a few days after the ball and she thought it'd be easier to explain everything in person. (Well, easier in the sense that she could avoid the confrontation for a bit this way and have Scorpius with her when she broke the news giving them another target for any potential ire. Yeah, she was kind of evil like that.)

Of course, there was a whole Weasley/Potter section on Platform 9¾ but, as she was no longer a Weasley, Hermione stood apart from them. Rose spotted her mum on the opposite end of the platform with Draco Malfoy of all people. She poked Scorpius and pointed them out. "What do you reckon? Better to tell them together?"

Her boyfriend—boyfriend, crazy!—shrugged. "Sure." Rose suspected he was just glad they weren't telling her dad (and the rest of her extended family by proxy) yet.

The pair walked over, effectively interrupting Hermione and Mr. Malfoy's conversation with their arrival. "Oh, Rose! I'm just _so_ proud," Hermione gushed, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

Mr. Malfoy, meanwhile, patted his son on the shoulder and said something to him in a low tone that Rose couldn't hear—especially not with her mum all teary and babbling at her.

When Hermione finally let go, Rose cleared her throat. "So, mum, listen…" She looked at Scorpius but he appeared somewhat out of it. She poked him. "Hello—?"

Scorpius shook his head. "You're dating?"

Rose expected Mr. Malfoy to answer but it was her mum who spoke up. "Yes, we are." She sounded a bit nervous but Rose hardly heard it over the _shock_ and _awe_ and _what the fuck?_ flying around her brain. Hermione took Draco's hand and smiled hopefully. "Since February."

There were no words, Rose decided, that could make up an adequate reply. So she just threw out their news because, hey, what the hell, right? "We're dating, too. Me and Scorpius, I mean." She flushed a little, flustered. (Because now she had the idea that she and her mum could date the same man and that that man could be Mr. Malfoy floating around her head and it was _seriously freaking her out!_)

Hermione appeared nothing short of shocked but Mr. Malfoy just raised a brow. "Is that so?"

Scorpius took that as his cue, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, yeah."

An awkward silence fell over the foursome as everyone digested the news. Then something occurred to Rose. "So where will you be staying tonight?" she asked her mum and Mr. Malfoy.

"I… I'm not sure." Hermione blinked. "Probably my hotel, since I've got to be up and out at dawn."

Rose turned to Scorpius. "We can go to your house then."

Again, Hermione appeared shocked. "Now wait just a minute—"

Already Rose was dragging Scorpius away. "Sorry, we've got to run!" After all, they couldn't avoid the whole telling-her-dad thing forever. This way, at least, they had a place to escape to afterward—specifically one where they could be alone.

"You do realize they'll probably stay at the Manor now," Scorpius pointed out when she explained her logic to him later.

Rose shrugged, smiling. "If they do, there's always the old playhouse at the Burrow…" Since she punctuated with a kiss on his lips, he did not see fit to object.


End file.
